Fine, let's talk about it
by Thoughts Through Words
Summary: "We kiss, and then we never talk about it. We nearly die frozen in each other's arms, but we never talk about it." What happens if they do talk about it? What will this mean for their relationship? **One-shot** Set 3x24 Alternate Ending


**A/N: This is the fight they had in 3x24. Not everything is exactly how they said it and this is an alternate ending.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Castle**

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"Castle, they killed my mother. What do you want me to do here?" Beckett spat out.

"Walk away." he stated simply, as if that would be the easiest task in the world.

Those two words left Kate's mouth agape as she tried to fathom a response. How dare he tell her to walk away? She couldn't just abandon her mother. She needed justice. Walking away would be like walking away from herself, who she was. After her mother was murdered, Beckett redirected her entire life. Instead of working towards her dream of becoming the first women chief justice, she dropped out of Stanford University, and enrolled into the police academy. She worked day and night, directing traffic and handing out tickets to drunken college kids that decided speed limits "weren't there thing." Kate had done everything she had to do, exceeding expectations while doing it, in order to make detective. And she did it. She is now the youngest woman to make detective in the history of the NYPD. She has the highest case closure rate in the precinct. All of this, just so she could avenge her mother's death. Every free minute, every lunch break, she sat in the archives re-reading the files that she had already memorized. Now after all this time, and work, and sacrifice, she is just supposed to walk away?

And how dare he try and tell her what to do? This was her life, not his. He doesn't get to decide what she does or how she does it. Since he weaved his way onto her team with a simple phone call to the Mayor, he has nosed around every part of her life without her permission. He was the one who investigated her mother's case surreptitiously, without telling her, after she directly told him not to. Now he also gets to decide when to put it away?

"They're going to kill you Kate. And if you don't care about that," he continued, glancing away from her to try and think of something, anything that would get to her, make her change her mind. "at least think about how that's going to effect the people that love you."

Beckett's anger started to bubble. She couldn't believe he was playing _that_ card. She sent him one of her glares, telling him to quit while he was ahead. Of course, when did Castle ever listen to her?

"Do you really want to put your dad through that?" he asked her, knowing he was crossing a line. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Kate was ready to stop him, and throw him out of her apartment. Both, Castle and Beckett knew he had struck a nerve with what he said. Although he knew he should stop, Rick continued.

"And what about Josh?" he asked, the doctor's name tasting like venom on his tongue.

"And what about you Rick?" Kate asked. Recently her and Castle have become closer. She had no idea where they stood. They were friends, she knew that. But recently they have shared so many moments that could have made them more than that.

Castle was surprised at her question. He wasn't really sure what she was asking. Kate never asked him how he felt about her. She does everything she can to keep him on the other side of her wall. The fact that she was directly asking him, came as a shock to him.

"Of course I don't want anything to happen to you. I'm your partner." he said. "I'm your friend." he added, not really sure what was okay to say.

"Is that what we are?" Kate asked frustrated. She had feelings for the writer, no matter how much she tried to deny or fight them, she knew she did. And she knew that he had feelings for her as well. Suddenly she just got so tired of doing this dance that they've been doing for almost four years now.

Rick snapped at her question. His blood was boiling at her nerve to ask him that. It was her fault that they weren't anything more than that. She repeatedly brushed off anything that happened between them that could be considered the least bit romantic or intimate, pretending it never happened. Rick stared at her, giving her a glare of his own.

"Alright, you know I don't know what we are." he started, taking steps toward her and invading her personal space. He never broke eye contact. The way he said those last two words were filled with so much anger, like they were poison on his tongue. "We kiss, and then we never talk about it. We nearly die frozen in each other's arms, but we never talk about it." he continued, his voice getting louder with every word. "So no, I've got no clue what we are." he hissed at her.

"I know that you hide in these relationships with men you don't love." he said. "Like Josh." he spat.

Kate could see the hurt flooding behind his eyes. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She knew that all he was saying was true. Beckett wished she could take her normal defensive stance and be angry with him but she couldn't. She was angry with herself, not him. Suddenly the words flowed from her mouth, without giving herself a chance to think about it.

"Fine, you want to talk about it?" She asked, her voice angry and her volume rising. "You want me to tell you how I haven't been able to stop thinking about our kiss since it happened?" she yelled. "Or how about I tell you that every time I look at you, I remember exactly how you tasted and I crave to have my lips against your's again?" she shouted. "Even better, I can tell you that right before I passed out in that freezer, I was going to tell you that I loved you." she cried.

"And you're right I don't love Josh. I love _you_." She was practically screaming by now.

With her yelling over, the room was left in a tension filled silence. Kate turned away from him, walking towards her window, resting her forehead on the chilled glass. The cold was cooling her down from the heat she just spit out at Rick.

Before she could process what was happening, a strong hand on her shoulder spun her around. She was met with a bitter stare from Rick. Without warning, Castle slammed his mouth onto hers, each of them expressing their frustration without words. Like the one in the alley, this kiss wasn't gentle or soft. It was hard and heated, leaving them both panting and gasping for breath. Clearly they had crossed a line tonight, together. They couldn't pretend that this didn't happen.

When Kate was finally able to form a coherent sentence she whispered onto his lips, "I'll walk away." She then pressed her lips against his lightly, trying to convey her love for him with her mouth. Rick returned the sentiment, the warmth of his mouth sending a current running throughout her body. Once again, when air was necessary they pulled away. Their faces were close enough that they could feel each other's breath against their swollen lips. Their eyes never broke contact and they could both see the multitude of emotions swimming behind them. Neither had ever noticed the undeniable love that was there with every look, every touch, every breath.

"I love you." Rick whispered into her hair, as he repeatedly placed loving kisses in her brown locks.

Rick and Kate obviously had some things they needed to talk about, but for now they wanted to explore this new path they were going down together. Kate needed to end things with Josh. She felt no sadness over the end of the relationship. She knew it was inevitable because she didn't love him. She loved Castle and now she was ready.

 _They_ will walk away. _Together._


End file.
